CINCINNATI — The Cincinnati Bengals are ready to welcome fans back to Paul Brown Stadium at full capacity this season. But before they do, the organization is releasing information to help make sure game day is safe and fun for everyone.
First and foremost: Masks or facial coverings are optional at the stadium this season. Consistent with the current health guidance, the Bengals recommend that fans who are not vaccinated continue to wear masks.
The team also announced that it will operate on a cashless system this year. That policy goes into effect Sunday, Aug. 29, the Bengals’ preseason home game against the Miami Dolphins. The policy will also be in place for concerts and other events at the stadium.
The team said the entire stadium will be cashless, including all concession stands and retail locations. Roaming vendors will have devices to process cashless payments. Accepted methods of payment include most credit cards, debit cards and Apple Pay. Concession stands will also accept Google Pay, the team said.
Fans can also transfer cash to a universally accepted debit card for no fee at cash-to-card kiosks located in the stadium. There's signage throughout the stadium that directs fans to these locations.
Many of the team's safety policies this year are about limiting physical contact between guests and staff.
In their announcement, the Bengals said they will continue their mobile ticketing policy from last year. They're making all tickets digital to support contactless entry.
Game-goers can access their tickets through the team's official app, which is available for Apple and Android devices. Instructions on how to access, transfer and scan mobile tickets can be found at bengals.com/tickets/mobileticket.
Like the rest of the NFL, the Bengals will continue the clear-bag policy this season. The league-wide rule permits only certain types of bags in stadiums.
Fans can bring clear plastic bags and small clutch purses. Clear bags are available at the Bengals Pro Shop.
More information about the policy is available at bengals.com/stadium/bagpolicy.